Tales of Arise could be the best entry in the series yet, at least so far as art and combat are concerned.
During today’s Summer Game Fest presentation Bandai Namco Entertainment wheeled out a new trailer for Tales of Arise, the the latest entry in the long-running Tales JRPG franchise. Two more playable characters were shown off, alongside some additional plot details that honestly made little sense out of context. It’s at least safe to say Tales of Arise won’t stray too far from established JRPG tropes, yet it’s the art and combat that truly stand out.
Tales of Arise releases September 10th, 2021, will tell a tale of fate and darkness.
Tales of Arise is still slated to launch September 10th, 2021 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and on PC via Steam. The game will tell a tale (heh) of light versus dark, of those who would deft fate, and . . . trust me, you’ve heard it all before. There were plenty of proper nouns thrown around in the new Tales of Arise trailer, and while I wasn’t able to follow along entirely with the overarching narrative, I was able to pick up that Arise’s story would be pretty standard JRPG fare.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that – Final Fantasy is my all time favorite video game franchise – but it appears the gorgeous art design and satisfying combat are the true stars of the game. Two new characters were shown off, alongside some footage of them in combat. Tales as a JRPG series has been using action combat since before it was cool, so it’s no surprise this aspect of the game looks solid.
Additionally, the art design in the series has always strived for a hard anime aesthetic, though Tales of Arise is aiming to evoke a more hand-drawn style with its new “Atmospheric Shader” Per the press release from Bandai-Namco:
“Tales of Arise carries the DNA of the much-loved Tales of franchise while also introducing advanced graphics and an evolved combat system to help push the series into the future. A new “Atmospheric Shader” developed by BANDAI NAMCO Studios adds subtle touches to the look and feel of the world evoking a hand-drawn painting. Combat has also evolved, allowing for a better sense of spectacle and direct player feedback based upon their actions. The graphics, combat system, characters, and story all work together to present a vivid and realized world that will immerse players as they are transported to the many environments and biomes they will explore throughout their time with Tales of Arise.”
The game will release in Standard, Digital Deluxe, Ultimate, and Collector’s Editions. The Collector’s Edition is an actual physical product that comes with a Standard Edition of Tales of Arise, an exclusive 18-cm Alphen and Shionne figurine, a Steelbook case, a 64-page hardcover art book, and a physical CD soundtrack. It can only be purchased at Bandai Namco Entertainment America’s online store, linked here.
Tales of Arise launches September 10th, 2021 for PC (Steam), PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. Be sure to check out the new trailer embedded in the article above.
- This article was updated on June 11th, 2021
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